Week 6 Discussion Response-Physical Disabilities

Week 6 Discussion Response

Since more than 90% of students with disabilities are in schools with their peers and are receiving services in the general education classrooms, by Wednesday determine if there is a place in your classroom or school that is not properly accessible if you were to have a student in a wheelchair. Remember that according to Beard’s Chapter 6 a student’s position must be changed every 20 minutes (pg. 92) so based on that how should  your classroom be set up, designed or re-built to best suit the student?

Considerations for your response:

• Transitions into the building/classroom
• Different areas of your room in which you teach
• Transitions to other parts of the building
• Lunch
• Play
• Bathrooms
• Participation after school

As a physical education and health teacher, I see many areas of concerns when it comes to students with a physical disability and accommodating them in our school. Currently our school is undergoing construction and therefore inhibit the way our students with a physical disability can access their classes.  I would like to discuss not only our previous situation but our current and future situations. Throughout my response I will continue to talk about one student's journey through a typical school day.  

Last year, our school underwent a very large scale renovation process.  The beginning stages of the process did not affect our students because it was an addition on one of the sides of our current buildings.  However, there were some areas of concern when it came to students with physical disabilities and their access around school.  One particular student is physically handicapped and is restricted to a wheelchair.  Due to the lack of space, the student needs to go to the nurse whenever he needs to use the facilities.  Although there was one working elevator in the school, the student needed to compete with other students who also held a “elevator key” distributed by the nurse.  This elevator key was used for students who were physically handicapped as well as an emotionally handicapped.  As you can imagine, it became difficult to arrive to classes on time.  The solution for this student was to leave the previous class 5-10 minutes early so he would be able to arrive to his next class on time.  During the student's freshman year I had him in health education class.  The room was sized to accommodate 25 students.  Unfortunately, with 30 students in the class and very little space to move around, the student was forced to share a desk in the front row of the class with one of his friends.  Once the day was over, the student was unable to participate in after school athletics due to a lack of adaptive activities offered.

At the beginning of the current school year we were moved to our newly renovated building and access is limited for both the teachers and students.  While in the transition process the elevators were placed out of order.  All the students who needed access to the elevator, such as the student I talked previously about, needed to sit in an alternative room with work compiled together from the teacher. Unfortunately, I do not have this student currently and therefore am unable to provide feedback of the current situation.  Currently, the elevators are now up and running so the student has access to the class.  The classes in the new wing are now equipped with rolling chairs and tables making it extremely easy to accommodate for students who are wheelchair bound. The student still needs to attend the nurse when needing to use the bathroom and does so accordingly.

The future plans of the building accommodate for two elevators and numerous access to the currently called “new wing”.  This will allow students appropriate access to each of the buildings.  The classrooms will all be renovated with the new rolling tables and chairs to help enhance the access for students with physical disabilities as well as a great tool for collaboration.The pool will also be renovated with the addition of a chair lift for students with a physical disability.  Currently we do not have access to the pool for students who need assistance getting in or out.  There are plans of a handicapped bathroom for those in need of more space when using the lavatory as well as talks of an adaptive sports program.  Also, ramps are now installed outside for easy access to our athletic fields whereas before there was only stairs and a very steep ramp used for an ambulance access way.

Overall I do believe, like most schools, our school was dated when it comes to accommodating students with a physical handicap.  I also believe our school is currently working hard to provide an opportunity for those students to get the same education and access the same things someone who is not wheelchair bound could.